The continuing search for uncovering newly found deposits of natural energy reserves that include oil exploration has been difficult in sensitive environments such as the North Slope of Alaska. creates a need for this invention, since current land based vehicles can damage and destroy those environments. For example, land based vehicles having separate individual wheels can cause deformation to the ground and gouging of the ground surface while being operated. Thus, it is highly desirable under certain environmentally sensitive conditions to have a tracked vehicle which would cause the least deformation to the ground as possible. Such uses include operation across frozen tundra typical of the ANWR region of the North Slope of Alaska.
While wheeled vehicles typically have highly refined independent suspension systems, tracked vehicles have been generally limited to rigid, non-compliant suspension systems. This has been a necessity partly due to the driving track wheels being rigidly mounted to the power train. Because of this rigid mounting, the vehicle causes the ground to conform to the track system, rather than the other way around.
Most tracked vehicles are powered by mechanically driven track wheels which are prone to problems. Tracked wheels are not known to have independent suspensions. Although better than separate wheeled vehicles, traditional tracked wheels such as those found on tractors, military vehicles and the like, have been also known to damage and gouge a ground surface.
Various types of track type vehicles have been proposed over the years. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,587 to Dow et al.; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,044,921 and 6,220,377 both to Lansberry. However, none of these cited references overcomes all the problems described above.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.